Tag Archives: cheap decor

The other day, I found myself in a checkout line behind a woman who was buying sticks. That’s right, sticks. A nice bundle of them, too — each labeled with a price tag of $3.99. Were they magical sticks… or at least painted a cool color, with twinkly lights attached? Nope. Just plain sticks. I wanted to grab her arm and say, “You know, you can find a huge quantity of those, free-for-the-taking, right in my backyard… and probably in your backyard, too.” But I didn’t. I let her walk out with her sticks and realized a blog post was about to be born. (I’m not quite a Craft Interventionist yet, but I’m getting there.)

It’s the tail-end of winter here in Louisville, Kentucky; and let me tell you, sticks are aplenty. The tree branches are bare… everywhere, I swear! (I’ve always loved Seuss.) It’s perfect stick-gathering time. The snow is melting, and branches, big and small, have fallen. They can either be bundled for the curb or for your own craft projects. I’m choosing the latter.

It’s always great to bring part of the outdoors inside. Live, green plants are lovely; however, if you’re a non-green thumb like me, sticks may be more your style. You can’t kill “dead.” 🙂 I love the variety of colors, textures, sizes, and shapes. They are versatile for use, as well, and can be placed in mantle vases, floor pots, or even in frames as wall art.

If you want to liven things up a bit, you can always spray-paint them, gild them, add lights, or other embellishments. I once mounted a large branch on my daughter’s bedroom ceiling using clear fishing wire and a screw hook and, then, hung beautiful bird and butterfly ornaments from it. No cost, no fuss.

I realize that not all parts of the world have trees. If you live in such a place, then I guess you are stuck buying them in a craft or home decor store. But if you do have trees, the next time there’s a breeze, go out on your knees, and pick up sticks, please! (Ah, Seuss.) As always, send in photos of your creations so that I can share them with others on my blog. You’ll be glad you went out on a limb. 🙂